Thanks to LeonAzul, and his reference to these BBC videos on YouTube. Whatever other failings the BBC might have, I still think they do the best job on the planet of popularizing science that would otherwise not reach the general population.

It really is quite amazing to me that one of the biggest, most exciting, stories of our time gets so little attention, and sometimes I wonder why that is. I think one of the reasons why is that for the most part, the story is still one that mostly is told in ivory towers, and arcane laboratories, but it is a story about what everyone of us experiences everyday in all its glorious phenomenal wonder, i.e. the experience of being, an experiencing being, consciousness.

Episode 6 of Brain Story, "The Final Mystery" is an excellent survey, of some of what is going on in the modern exploration of consciousness, like the rest of the episodes it is broken up into approximately 10 minute videos, making it easy to watch without any one big time investment.

The entire series is available starting with "It's All in the Mind", and for anyone who finds the world a fascinating place, this is a must see series, for what could be more fascinating than the producer of the fascination?

---

[quote=Epiphileon]
It really is quite amazing to me that one of the biggest, most exciting, stories of our time gets so little attention, and sometimes I wonder why that is. I think one of the reasons why is that for the most part, the story is still one that mostly is told in ivory towers, and arcane laboratories, but it is a story about what everyone of us experiences everyday in all its glorious phenomenal wonder, i.e. the experience of being, an experiencing being, consciousness.


I think this gets so little attention because it is so common. Everyone knows about consciousness, or at least think they do. As a ubiquitous item, it gets no thought given to it except by scientists and a few lay persons who find it interesting.

I was particularly captured by facts in episode 3, "The Heat of the Matter" concerning emotions; in particular, the ONLY two areas of the brain that register the ONLY two emotions, disgust and fear. I would suggest that disgust is also fear related.

I have been saying for years that fear and its opposite are the basis for all our emotions, but because emotions are so common, and everyone thinks they know about them, no one hears what I am saying. On a couple of occasions, I have seen an individual approach understanding, and when that moment occurs, you can see fear rise up in their expression, and they immediately turn away from the knowledge or understanding. Truth frightens people. That is another reason it gets so little attention. Truth is pleasant when it is disconnected from the individual; when they can observe it at a distance, or in someone else, but is very uncomfortable when it is personal.

I would like to open a discussion on this but don't want to get too many things going at once. Also, I'm still trying to figure out a way to start it, but perhaps I just did. Stay tuned.

---

A great many people will think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices. ~ William James ~